I see dead Kiba!
by Rai Lockhart
Summary: Kiba dies, and Hinata is deeply saddened. But as time passes, he comes back to life! But only Hinata can see him... Read and review, please!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: It's a new story that's been on my mind. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned here. **

It was a sunny, cold day outside. There were no voices to be heard, or any sound of civilization. Just empty buildings, vacant streets, and a few faces looking out of windows. It seemed as if a thick layer of gloom was covering the city.

With a sunbeam hitting her face, Hinata Hyuuga opened her lavender eyes, and stared at her ceiling. She didn't feel like getting up. In fact, she just felt like lying there all day, and never moving again. But she had to get up today. Today was _his_ funeral. She threw the covers off of her body, and walked over to her dresser. She opened up the closest drawer to the floor, and took out a folded, black outfit. She grimaced as she put it on, and almost started to cry.

_'Stay strong, Hinata. He wouldn't want you to be this way. You've got to stay strong, for Kiba,'_ she thought to herself. She wiped away the tears, and headed out the door. Shino was outside, in his black outfit. She was reminded of the time that the Third had died, and they attended his funeral together. "H-h-hello, Shino-kun."

"Let's go, Hinata," Shino's voice remained emotionless.

_'How can he be so calm when our friend is DEAD?!' _Hinata screamed inside of her head. They both walked silently down the road, making their way to where Kiba's funeral was supposed to be held. A few minutes later, they came upon a crowd around the black Memorial Monument, where Kiba's name was supposed to be carved soon. He had died in combat, trying to save Hinata. That's what really hurt... it should have been her that died, not him.

Shino pulled Hinata forward to the front row, where they took their places next to the Inuzuka family. Hinata sat next to Kiba's mother. She was looking forward, staring at her son's coffin. Tsunade stood up, and walked toward the coffin.

"Today, we recognize one of our own who died in combat. Kiba Inuzuka was a great ninja, one who has saddened our whole village by his death. He died to save our village, and for that, we are proud. Now, I will open the floor to whomever wants to come and say a few words." Tsunade stepped down, and ushered Kiba's family, Shino, and Hinata into their positions. They were to stand there, so people could express their sorrow for losing a son or a close friend.

"I-I don't feel right about b-being up here. I-I'll go sit d-d-own," Hinata stuttered to Tsume. She turned to Hinata, and smiled. Well, it was as close to a smile as someone who just lost a son could get.

"Nonsense. You and Shino were his closest friends, besides Akamaru. You two are a part of our family. It is a shame Kurenai is out on a mission. I would have liked her to be here, too." The two stood there for a moment, staring at each other. Soon, they turned back to the crowd. It started out as one person, slowly standing up, and walking up to his coffin with a flower in hand.

Soon, more people were coming up and expressing their deepest sympathies. There were a few very familiar faces in the crowd.

"This is troublesome for me to say... Kiba was a great friend of mine. I'm sorry to see him go." Shikamaru put a small white carnation on Kiba's coffin, and moved off the stage. Ino was next in line, and she too expressed her sympathies. A few more people from the village stepped up, spoke, and placing the flowers. Hinata was the only one openly crying; Tsume's eyes were watering, and a few tears fell from her eyes. She wiped them away quickly.

Hinata stood up on the platform, scanning the crowd. There were people she knew, and people who she didn't. All of them were wearing black clothing, save a few grey suits. She scanned the crowd a little more, almost as if she were looking for someone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move. It looked like...

**_Kiba_**. She jerked her head to the spot where she thought she saw him, but there was nothing there. _'Great, Hinata... You're going crazy...' _At the sound of a voice, Hinata was brought back into the world from her thoughts. Sakura stood in front of her, her seemingly always present look on her face.

"Hinata... I know how you feel. I know how it is to lose a friend..." Her smile disappeared as thoughts of Sasuke filled her mind. Hinata knew that Sakura still missed him greatly, and without Naruto here, she was more alone than ever. The sad smile returned as she spoke again. "If you ever need to talk... I'm always here for you." Hinata nodded, and hugged Sakura. She knew that the two could become very close over time, especially since they had so much in common.

"Thank you, Sakura. Your words mean much to me, and if I ever need to talk, I'll find you." Hinata gave the pink headed girl a fake smile, and Sakura stepped down. After Sakura had moved, Hinata glanced back out at the crowd. Standing at the back was someone who looked very familiar... Hinata choked up at the thought of her deceased friend, and the fact that she was going crazy. But something made her think otherwise. Akamaru must have spotted the figure, too, as he gave a happy bark. He was under the impression that Kiba was coming back. Did that mean...?

But he couldn't be back. There he was in the coffin, dead. His eyes were closed, and his was dressed in nicer clothes than Hinata ever remembered him wearing. He looked so peaceful, just like he did when he was dying. Th memory came flying back through her mind. She pushed it further away, but it broke through.

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_A kunai came flying at Hinata from somewhere behind, heading straight for her blind spot. Because of a lack of chakra, she didn't fill the small space like her father had told her to. She was concentrating on the enemy, making sure that Shino knew where to send his next attack. 'HINATA!" Kiba's voice echoed all around her, and she turned toward it in time to see him diving for her, pushing her out of the way of a kunai that she had just seen. The scene was horrifing for her... the kunai had a chakra seal on it that, as she would later find out, exploded whatever it hit. _

_It hit near Kiba's right lung, exploding the skin and part of the actual lung. Hinata's eyes were huge, and her skin was much more pale than normal. Shino had turned, also, to watch his best friend's demise. "KIBA!" Hinata screamed, as he fell to the ground. He was hardly breathing, but he had a peaceful look in his eye. He was giving her his usual, Kiba smile. Akamaru was barking nosily, try to make him get up. All he did was cough, and smile_

_"Sor...sorry, Akamaru." KIba coughed again, this time with blood mixed in. "Hin-Hinata... Shi-Shino..." More blood. "You t-two are my b-best hum-human frien-friends." Blood spilled out of his mouth, and a dazed look came upon his face. Hinata's tears were streaming down her face, landing on his jacket and face. "Don-don't cry, Hin-Hinata... Be st-strong..." He looked very peaceful as life passed from his being. Hinata's eyes grew even wider, and she stopped crying._

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Those were his last words. "Be strong, Hinata." She had been in too much shock to really register he had died until they had gotten back to Konoha. And to see his body, lying in the coffin had finally awoken what was inside of her all this time. She burst out into tears that she had been holding back, and ran over the his body.

"NO! He can't be dead! It's all my fault!" She laid her head on the coffin, and sobbed loudly. Most of the crowd had gone now. Only Shino, Kiba's family, and a few others remained. Shino stepped forward, and touched her shoulder.

"It will be okay, Hinata. It was not your fault." As soon as he said this, Hinata shook his hand off her shoulder and ran. She ran to the place where Kurenai-sensi had brought them after the teams were announced. She stopped, and looked at it. All the memories came flooding back. When they had first met, when he had introduced her to Akamaru and she screamed, when he found out she liked Naruto and wouldn't leave her alone about it...

"WHY?" She fell to the ground, and started crying again. "Why him? Why not me...?"

And then she felt it. A cold hand on her shoulder. As she was about to yell, thinking it to be Shino, she glanced up. And saw something that startled her more than anything else all day.

"Kiba...?"


	2. Kiba's Laughter

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update! I just couldn't think of anything to write! Darn writers block. This is a result of my writers block and wanting to get a chapter up. So if's it's not up to standard, I'm sorry!

Disclaimed: Don't own Naruto Series.

"It's okay Hinata... I'm here," Kiba's voice shot through her pleasant dreams about Naruto, making Hinata awake with a start. She glared to a figure to the right of her small bed.

"KIBA! Stop doing that!" Sitting next to Hinata's bed was none other than the thought to be deceased Kiba Inuzuka. He had an evil grin plastered on his face. "What are you so happy about, Kiba?"

Kiba burst out laughing, looking at her. "N-Naruto-kun, don't leave me now! I loooooooooooove you!" He mocked in a high, fake voice. Hinata glared at him, and went back to sleep. Just because she sometimes talked in her sleep didn't give him reason to mock her.

A few hours later, Hinata's alarm went off. She opened her eyes, and threw the covers over her head. She didn't want to meet with Shino today. He had said tht they needed to talk, and she was not in the mood for one of his lectures. "Hinata, Shino is at the door. Father can't distract him much longer, you know how much he hates smart-assed people." Hanabi banged on the door.

Hinata groaned, and got dressed quickly. She walked down the steps toward the door, Kiba's silvery image beside her. "Hinata, come." Shino's deep, monotone voice beckoned to her. She sluggishly moved along, dreading what was coming next. Much to her distress, Kiba was had started laughing again. As soon as he father shut to door, she glared at him.

"Kiba!"

"That is precisely what I wish to talk to you about, Hinata. As of late," Shino cleared his throat, "you have been acting little odd. Ever since you ran away from the funeral, you have been talking to someone who isn't there." Shino looked down at the navy haired girl as they started walking along the small path toward Konoha.

"It's.. it's not like that, Shino..."

"Can you please explain to me what it is like, then?"

"Well... no... You wouldn't believe me." Hinata glanced over at the silvery image of her teammate, who was floating along with them. Why was it that only she could see Kiba? It would be so much easier if everyone thought that Shino was crazy, too.

"If you feel that way, Hinata, then I feel that this is the best place for you." Hinata hadn't really noticed it, but they had been walking toward the mental institution of Konoha. For the ninja suffering from head injuries, depression, or the like. Hinata sighed.

"Shino, I'm not going crazy! KIBA, STOP LAUGHING!" Hinata turned to her ghost, and started trying to hit him. "KIBA, I SWEAR!"

"They have people for you, Hinata. This will be the best for you. I promise." Hinata stared at Shino with an open mouth.

"You can't be serious, Shino. Sending me to a mental institution is no laughing matter."

"Who is laughing?"

"This silvery appirition next to me, for one." With a shake of his head, Shino lead Hinata into the hospitial. The lady at the front desk smiled.

"Are you here to drop off Hinata Hyuuga, patient number 206?"

Shino nodded, and the lady told them to wait in the seats for a few moments until she could get everything in order. As they made their way to the waiting room, Hinata made a run for it. She ran out of the door, feeling for dear life. Shino sat in the waiting room, staring after. He was surprised that Hinata was doing something against someone else's better judgment.

Finally, Hinata had to stop to catch her breath. She was a little way off from Konoha, in one of the forest training grounds. Kiba floated up next to her. "Does running really wear you out that much? I always thought you had more stamina than that, Hinata. I got all the way her in the same amount of time without breaking a sweat."

"Yeah, well. You're a ghost. Your DEAD. Dead, do you hear me? Dead, as in: NOT ALIVE. As in: NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. Why are you here, anyway?" She crossed her arms and looked up at her teamate.

Kiba stroked his chin like he was in deep thought. He even sat down cross-legged, and looked up at the sky. He reminded Hinata of a famous sculpture, called "The Ninja Thinker." Kiba ruined her three seconds of admiration for the great art piece by bursting out with laughter.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. I am dead. But as to why I'm here... I don't know. Maybe someone needs me."

"Then why don't you go appear to them instead of me? I'd be perfectly fine with that."

"Maybe I'm supposed to help you, Hinata." Kiba looked at her with all seriousness in his face, an expression that Hinata did not regonize on his face. She was takenaback by it. "Maybe... maybe that's what I'm supposed to do."

All Hinata could do in response was stare, open-mouthed, at him. She didn't have problems! Okay, _maybe_ one or two. Maybe she couldn't tell Naruto that she loved him. Maybe she couldn't stand up to her little sister. Maybe she couldn't stand up to anyone, and had low self confidence. The list went on. But that didn't matter! None of those were Kiba's problems. She would figure them out, eventually.

Kiba looked back down at Hinata. "Shino's following you. I can ense him."

That broke her out of her trance faster than anything else. Eye twitching in horror, she ran like he wind- straight into Shino.

"Good one, Hinata. Run back to the captor."

"Shut up, Kiba," Hinata muttered. How was she going to get out of this one? Well, there was that way that she had seen in a movie. Oh God, she hoped it would work.

She then turned her gaze back to Shino, and smiled brightly. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and looked up at his unchaning face.

"Shino-kun... I'm not insane. But I am going crazy with love for you." She looked up at him with puppy eyes. In her head, she was silently praying it would work. _'Please let Shino be seduced! PLEASE!"_

The only thing she could hear was Kiba's laughter.

A/N: Hinata, trying to seduce Shino? Will it work? And why does Kiba laugh so much as a ghost? Please review!


	3. Neji

**A/N: Update! Sorry it's been so long, loves, but school been overwhelming. Plus, I've been trying to update other stories as well. And Gaia's addictingness is very overwhelming.  
**

**Disclaimer: I can't draw. So no owning Naruto for me...**

"Hin-Hinata... I don't think..." Shino stumbled over his words. Hinata managed a glance up at his face, which had a slight pink tinge on it. IT WAS WORKING? Hinata buried her face in his chest to hide her shocked expression.

Did Shino actually like Hinata? She felt a hand on her chin. The hand lifted her head, and tilted it toward Shino. Her eyes widened as Shino came in closer.

This was not supposed to happen!

Hinata surpressed a scream when Shino's lips met hers. His lips felt warm and inviting. She closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss. Hinata hadn't noticed that Kiba's laughter had stopped. Shino pulled away. She thought he could see a speck of disapointment in his usually unreadable face. Her shock must have given it away.

"You're lying," Shino said, half an inch from her face, disapointment almost evident in his emotionless voice.

"Wha-? No I'm not!" And here she was believing he actually liked her. She definitely thought too much of herself. Her eyes widened as she felt a hand on her wrist.

"You're coming with me." Shino pulled the navy haired girl toward the hospitial for the mentally unstable. She groaned. Who was here to help her, now?

Then, she felt a hand on her other wrist. Kiba...? Her hopes soared.

She turned, only to come face to face with her cousin. "He... hello, Neji-nii-san."

He nodded at her, and then turned to glare at Shino. "Aburame-san. Where are you taking Hinata?"

"She is delusional. She is under the impression that she loves me and Kiba is still alive," Shino stated, not turning around.

"Hn." Neji raised an eyebrow. "And what if she does like you?"

"She doesn't. I kissed her."

"You did WHAT to my cousin?" In less than a second, Neji was standing behind Shino, arms crossed. Shaking his head, he sighed. "Look, I don't care what your odd fantaises are. I just need my cousin not to do the the hospital. Bad for the clan's image, you see? The heir going crazy..."

Shino let go of Hinata's wrist. "I guess clan's do need to protect their images. It would be disasterous for other countries to see Konoha shinobi as mentally unstable. But I do advise getting help for her."

"Right. Hiashi-sama will take care of that." Neji then took Hinata and guided her away from Shino, the silvery mist that was Kiba following them. He kept throwing angry glances at the retreating figure of the bug boy. He had kissed her.

Shino had kissed _his_ Hinata.

He had never been so glad that Neji was Hinata's cousin before. If it wasn't for Neji, Hinata would be in the mental ward now.

"Hinata, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Neji. Thank you."

"I just saw you when I was sparring, and I remembered overhearing Shizune-san talk about your mental condidtion to Shino. On that note, Hiashi-sama wants me to talk to you about this problem Shino thinks you are having."

Hinata let out a sigh. Her own father thought she was crazy. Kiba floated a distance behind, still brooding over the fact that Shino kissed Hinata.

_'It's not like it matters. I'm dead. No one can love a ghost.'_

Hinata and Neji came to a stop in an empty field.

"Sit," The elder Hyuuga commanded. Hinata nodded, and sat down. "Hiashi-sama say's you've been talking to someone who isn't there. Shino also said you've been talking to Kiba."

"They'd be right," she muttered, throwing a glance at Kiba.

"Kiba's dead." Kiba sat next to Neji, making a triangle. Neji didn't see this, but Hinata did. She looked at him, her glare telling him to leave her alone now. But he still sat there.

"That's what I tell him!" Hinata said, turning back to her cousin.

"Hm... It seems you have it..." Neji muttered. Hinata's eyes widened, as did Kiba's.

"Have what?" She asked in alarm.

"Well, I've been doing some research since I heard about you talking to ghosts, and..."

"And what?" Hinata interrupted.

"If you'd be quiet, I'd tell you." When Hinata didn't respond, Neji continued. "Like I said, I've been doing some research. I came upon something really interesting in a book about our clan. There is a special type of Byakugan that allows the user to see ghosts without having it activated. It skips generations."

"Really?" Hinata asked, letting out a breath of relief. She wasn't crazy! It was just that her Byakugan was different!

"No," Neji stated dryly.

Hinata sweat dropped, almost face planting into the ground. "Thanks alot, Neji."

"Welcome. Anywho, about your problem. You think you can see Kiba?"

"I know I can see Kiba! He's right here!" Hinata pointed at the empty space.

"Then I have no reason to doubt you. If you are sure, then he must need to help you. Tenten said something about ghosts staying on earth for those reasons."

_That's what Kiba told me when I asked him what he was doing here..._

"So you don't think I'm crazy."

"You have given no reason for me to think that."

"But I see dead people."

"So does half the world, it seems."

"Right. So, you don't mind that I think I see a dead teammate of mine?" Hinata asked once again, for good measure. Neji was known to pick on people without them knowing it. He had such an odd sense of humor.

"Should I?"

"No."

"That answers your question."

Hinata sighed. Her cousin was so odd at times. How everyone else got the idea he was a brilliant, calm, normal person was beyond her. "Thank you for understanding, Neji."

"Anytime." He got up, and left. Hinata turned to Kiba.

"At least he believes you, Hinata," Kiba said in a reassuring tone.

"Neji never was one to care if I was crazy unless I tried to hurt someone. Which I never did."

"Hey, at least you haven't hurt anyone. Yet." Kiba added in a playful tone.

"But what about Shino? I think I hurt him. And to top it all off, he's the best friend I've got, and he doesn't believe me. Maybe I am going crazy." Hinata crossed her arms and adverted her gaze to the ground.

It was then that Hinata was pulled into a tight embrace. It felt so real, regardless of the fact that a ghost was huging her. "You're not crazy, Hinata."

For some reason, that made it all better.


	4. Karaoke

**A/N: Nyaa! Sorry for the utter lack of updates I've been giving. School has been tough. I've got two exams this week, and then I'm done! So I'll have a lot more free time to devote to getting updates up! And I've been spending a lot of time on Gaia. But then again, I always spend a lot of time on Gaia, so it's not much different than usual. But I promise, I'll get more updats up faster! Thanks for all the reviews that I've gotten for this story. Remember: More reviews equal faster updates! And with no school, I actually have to hold true to that.!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor the song in here. I just own the idea. I'm rih in thought, but not much else. lol**

"K-Kiba... I don't see how this will boost my confidence..." Hinata shaking, and looking more nervous than usual. Her index fingers looked like they were fighting a war with each other.

All in all, Hinata looked insanely scared.

"It helps boost everyone's confidence. Although, of course, most people have a few drinks beforehand..." Kiba grinned at his former teammate.

Hinata shot him a death glare. If looks could kill, Kiba would be dead right now.

Well... if Kiba were alive and looks could kill, Kiba would be dead right now.

"You know I don't drink." She sounded angry that he would even consider the heiress of the Hyuuga clan to drink. But in less than a second, the angry look faded away into a nervous wreck again.

"A-A-Are you sure th-that Naruto... He l-l-likes confident people, r-r-right?"

Kiba frowned at Hinata. _Note to self: Fix the stuttering. _Kiba didn't mind it, but Naruto was known to like out-going, non-stuttering people.

"Hinata, would I ever lie to you?"

"Yes."

"When have I ever lied to you?" Kiba shot back hotly, unheard by everyone except Hinata herself.

"Well, when we were in the Academy, and you told me you ate cats for breakfast. I later found out you're allergic to cats. Then, there was the time after we got put on the same team that you told me that you wore a coat to keep all the babes off your perfectly chiseled body. That was before I found out that you didn't have a perfectly chiseled anything. Oh, and there was that time you told me you weren't allergic to cats, so I decided to let you cat-sit my sisters cat. I couldn't tell who hated it more. You or the cat. And then there was-"

Hinata was cut off by Kiba. "Okay, I get it. I tell a few white lies here and there. But I would never lie to you about Naruto."

Hearing his name, Hinata turned into a pitiful excuse for a human again. "T-Thanks, Kiba."

Kiba flashed her a smile. "Now, get out there and show them what you've got!"

She nodded, and walked out from behind the curtain.

It was Karaoke night at the local bar.

Little did Hinata or Kiba know, Naurto loved to come hear all the drunks sing.

Kiba peaked out from behind the curtain, and spotted the blond haired loud mouth.

"Oh no..."

Hinata picked up the mike, and looked out at the audience. She somehow missed Naruto.

But he wasn't going to settle for that. "OI! Hinata! I didn't know you sang here!"

Kiba felt like slamming his head against a wall. Hinata looked like she was about to melt.

The music started.

Hinata was beet red. The words were beginning. She opened her mouth, and began to sing.

It was shaky at first. But the more she sang, the better it got.

"S-sometimes I feel I've got to run away.

I've got to get away.

From the pain you drive into the heart of me..."

She was swaying from side to side now, getting into the beat.

"Take my tears and that's not nearly all

Oh...tainted love

Tainted love."

She looked more confident than enver, and her voice sounded great.

"You need someone to hold you tight

And you'll think love is to pray

But I'm sorry I don't pray that way."

Now if only she were a guy, then it wouldn't be so funny to Kiba. He tried to hold back his chuckles.

"Don't touch me please

I cannot stand the way you tease

I love you though you hurt me so

Now I'm going to pack my things and go."

When she was done, there was a round of applause. All the drunks in the bar were enthusiastically cheering. Some even whistled, and a few yelled.

"I'd like to hit that!" one called. As Hinata turned and exited the stage, Kiba could see red under her eyes.

"D-did you like it, Kiba?"

He nodded his head. "It was good."

Right as she was about to say something, a new voice entered their seemingly one sided conversation.

"HINATA! That was great!"

Hinata turned a delicate shade of pink. "R-Really, Naruto?"

"Yeah!" He stopped for a second, and then smiled sheepishly. "Hey, you want to get something to eat?"

Hinata smiled nervously. "I-I'd like that."

Kiba stayed behind as Hinata and Naruto walked off.

Even if he was here to get Hinata and Naruto together, it didn't stop his heart from hurting.

**A/N: I hope you liked it! Remember to review! I know the ending was sad, but we can't have Hinata falling for a ghost... Can we? I still have yet to decide if this should be a Hinata x Kiba or Hinata x Naruto... So many choices for both. **

**Love you all bunches!**

**Rai **


	5. Invisible

Hinata was seeing less of Kiba.

And not in the figurative sense, as in he was there and she just ignored him. Or she was doing something else while he was doing something.

No; she literally could not see Kiba sometimes. She would strain her eyes, even turn on her Byakugan sometimes (Not that that would help to see a ghost...). But nothing was working.

She didn't notice that the times Kiba seemed to completely disappear was when she was around Naruto. She didn't realize that she could see him faintly when Naruto talked about Sakura, or when he did something that Hinata didn't really like.

Hinata definitely didn't notice that the times when she wasn't with Naruto were the times that she could see Kiba, hear Kiba, and be with Kiba.

She just thought he had other, ghosty things to do.

"So where have you been lately, Kiba?" Hinata asked the silvery appirition in her sugar sweet voice.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Um, what do you mean?"

Kiba, on the other hand, was always around Hinata. Even when Naruto disgusted him, or he would have rather been doing other, ghosty things.

He noticed that she tended to completely ignore him when she was with Naruto, hanging on his every stupid word. He noticed that she would squint at him, as if she could barely see his silvery form, when Naruto was doing something especially stupid, or when Naruto decided that Sakura was a good topic of conversation.

And he knew that when the blond idiot wasn't around, Hinata could see him perfectly, hear him perfectly, speak to him perfectly.

"W-Well, I haven't seen you around lately."

He figured that this was a good thing, in it's own twisted way.

"I've been there," He replied as they sat in her room. Hinata was supposedly studying some ancient Hyuuga scrolls. They both decided that she could study and talk to Kiba at the same time.

The studying wasn't working out so well. But, it gaurenteed peace, so Hinata wouldn't look like a complete nut. It was some ancient rule that if one is 'deep in learning the Hyuuga ways' that everyone else should respect that person and knock if they really had to speak to them.

So she pretended to look at the scroll while she spoke to the only teammate that A.) was dead and B.) would talk to her.

As it turned out, Shino was more upset with Hinata lying to him and disappointed in the fact that she really didn't like him than previously thought. So he was more on a 'Hn' basis with his female teammate now.

"You've just been hanging out with Naruto a lot more recently..." Kiba said, hovering above her bed. "His idiocy seems to be affecting my ghosty-ness."

"He-He's not an idiot!" Hinata said defensively. "B-But could N-Naruto really be affecting anything?" she asked, looking up at Kiba with curious white eyes.

Kiba chuckled. "Psh, like I know."

"B-But... don't they h-have like a s-school for these types of things?"

His grin widened. "A school to learn about being a ghost. Yeah, real practical."

"W-Well, it seems to be pretty practical! If everyone who died-"

"Not everyone who dies comes back as a ghost. In fact, most don't. According to someone I met after I died, only those who go prematurely--"

"Prematurely?"

"Those who go before their time," Kiba responded, as if he didn't have to ask the ghost explaining it to him.

"Ooh," Hinata exclaimed.

"Anyway, like I was saying: Only those who go prematurely or those who die protecting someone who would have gone prematurely come back as ghosts. Sooner or later, once they've done what they need to, they will soon leave."

Hinata looked thoughtful for a moment as she took in everything the dead dog ninja was saying. "So if I had died, I would have come back as a ghost?"

"Yeah' somethin' like that."

"And then I would have never been able to tell Naruto how much I like him," Hinata said, still looking thoughtful about something or another.

"Yeah." Kiba was quickly losing interest in the conversation. If it was going to be another Naruto fest, then he didn't want to listen.

A small knock came from the door.

"Hinata-sama," a gruff, cold voice said from behind the door.

"Yes, Neji?" Hinata responded, closing the scroll. The doorknob slowly turned, and the door opened, making a small creaking sound. Hyuuga Neji stood in the doorway, looking more unpleasant than ever. He probably hated being Hinata's messenger more than anything.

"You idiot is here to see you," he said, all emotion deviod from his voice. His arms crossed aross his chest and semi-glared at the main branch member. She seem to cower beneath his gaze.

"W-W-W-W-Who?" she stuttered out.

"Naruto," Kiba and Neji said at the same time, as though they were stating the obvious.

A look of realization passed through Hinata's eyes. She nodded, and slowly stood.

Neji left to go do other things that didn't have to do with Naruto or Hinata. Preferably with Tenten alone, but Lee was most likely going to come anyway.

Kiba felt like he had to say something as Hinata stood up, and looked directly at him.

"Hey, have fun with the number one hyperactive ninja, okay?" Kiba said. His idea of fun with that orange clad idiot had to do with strangling him, but to each his own.

"R-Right, I will," she responded with a smile.

"And don't ever forget about your favorite teammate." Kiba grinned cockily.

Hinata felt that this was a little strange. But she smiled anyway. "How could I ever forget you, Kiba?"

As she walked out the door, Kiba muttered something that sounded suspiciusly like 'Yeah right', and he waved.

She turned, and waved back.

Little did she know, this was the last time she would ever see Kiba again.


	6. Love Ghost

Kiba stalked down the road, hands shoved as deeply as his ghosty pockets would allow.

He was slightly mad.

And not because he had just followed Hinata around for two days, and she hadn't seen him. She wasn't with Naruto at all the second day, as he had left on a mission the day before. And she _still_ couldn't see him.

Was she blind, or something?

But no; that wasn't what had really gotten under his skin.

He had expected for something like that to happen. He had known that eventually, Hinata would have to stop seeing him. Eventually, he would do whatever he was supposed to do to get out of this place.

That was just what was making him upset.

_He was still here._ There was no white light, no path to something better or worse. There was just Konoha, and all the people in it. All the people that couldn't see him.

Was Hinata being with Naruto not what was supposed to happen? Maybe she was supposed to be with Sasuke, or Shino. No... Kiba knew that he was doing the right thing when he decided to get them together. He knew that that was what he was supposed to do.

Even if he didn't like that.

Even if he himself loved her, and he wanted to kill that blond idiot.

It wasn't like Hinata could fall in love with a ghost.

No matter how much he wanted that to happen, it just wasn't. She would be locked away, and no one would ever want to come and see her.

No, he didn't want to see her be friendless and crazy. That would just be too much.

And if Hinata wasn't meant to be with Naruto, then she would still be able to see Kiba. It just made sense that way. When he did what he was supposed to do, he would fade from her eyes as she moved from her guilt.

But even though she couldn't see him, he was still here. And just as invisible to everyone as always.

"Stupid life," Kiba muttered as he walked further down the road.

But as he walked down the dirt road, his anger somewhat disapated.

It turned into regret. Regret that he hadn't told Hinata what he had felt before he died, or before she stopped being able to see him. Maybe it would have made things different. Maybe he would still be alive.

Maybe he would be out of this place.

There weren't a lot of people around, and had Kiba been alive, he would have probably been thankful for the uncrowded streets. But as a ghost, he didn't really care if the street had a million people crammed into it. At least then he would get to see people shiver and shutter as he walked by.

But alas, he had even been denied that simple pleasure in life.

"Stupid people," he choked out as a small trickle of water fell from the sky. Kiba looked up, and discovered that the small trickle was indeed rain, coming from a group of dark clouds above Konoha.

Oh, joy.

Not that he could feel the rain, but it still put a damper on things.

Rain was one of his favorite things. When it rained, he used to love to go outside and just sit there. The cool feel of the droptlets on his skin was relaxing.

It made him feel free.

There was nothing like sitting in the rain when he was upset. If only he could feel that relaxing sensation right now...

"Stupid rain..." Kiba muttered, not noticing the wet girl sitting next to him. She looked around for the source of the voice.

She was crying. It was very noticible, even through the rain.

"K-Kiba...?" she asked as she squinted at him.

He quickly spun around, and stared at her.

He was taken aback. Someone else could... see him?

Just to make sure, Kiba extended his left arm into a wall. It went right through. Yep, he was still a ghost. But then how...?

"Sakura, how can you see me?"

"I... I don't k-know, Kiba. You were j-just there," she said as she looked up at him.

Ah, what a big help she was. It was then that Kiba took notice of her red eyes and tear stained face. "Okay, what's wrong?" He asked, squating down to her level.

"You're... you're d-d-dead," she stated, her eyes wide.

"Naw dip, Sherlock. I'm a ghost, and I'm trying to figure out why I haven't left yet. And since you can see me, I'm guessing it has to do with you."

"But you're dead."

"I get that. Now tell me what's wrong!" he growled at her.

She looked from the silvery Kiba to the ground, still trying to figure out what was going on.

Sakura was hit with a delima. Why should she tell a ghost her problems? She and Kiba had never been that close, anyway...

Well, it wouldn't hurt anything. It's not like he could go and tell anyone about it. Especially Ino-pig.

"W-Well, I was talking to Sasuke, a-and it seemed like we were hitting it off. B-But then, he just st-started looking colder again, a-and I s-started to choke up. So I-I started to act all f-fangirly again, even though I-I've changed, I s-s-swear. But he s-still..."

Sakura droned on and on about Sasuke and her problems. Kiba mentally sighed. He guessed that this was a sort of punishment type thing, for having a regret. Ya know, he died without telling the girl he loved that he loved her, so he was supposed to make Sasuke, or someone else, see that they loved Sakura.

That way Sakura wouldn't die with any regrets, so she wouldn't have to come back as a ghost.

But seriously, what was he? The love ghost, or something?

Couldn't he get a job that didn't have to deal with love?

When she was done, he looked up at the still raining sky. Sakura looked at him, and then poked him in the shoulder. "So you'll help me with Sasuke?"

"Yeah, I'll help you with Sasuke." Kiba looked up just in time to see Sakura smile.

He just sighed, and prepared for another true love job.

Hopefully Sasuke would be easier to deal with than Naruto.

_fin_


End file.
